Button, Button | by Richard Matheson
In "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson, a couple is offered $50,000 if they press a button that kills a stranger. Norma presses it, and…
The Scraps Index
Short Stories
7 articles
The Fall of the House of Usher: An Allegory of the Artist
Hoffman defines what he believes are Poe’s themes in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” including incest, murder, and madness. He concludes that…
Michael Shea – The Autopsy
A doctor stricken with cancer, Doctor Winter, gets called into a mining town to examine the victims of an underground explosion at the mine...
Beyond the Wall of Sleep | by H.p. Lovecraft
"Beyond the Wall of Sleep" by H.P. Lovecraft follows the story of a medical intern working at a psychiatric hospital who becomes fascinated with…
Stanley Ellin: The Specialty of the House
Stanley Ellin's short story, 'The Specialty of the House', about a New York restaurant with a special gourmet menu, was published in Ellery Queen's…
“Expendable” by Philip K. Dick
Here's a wry little story—but one with a sting in its tail— that demonstrates that sometimes our worst enemies, as well as some unexpected…
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar | by Roald Dahl
Henry Sugar, a wealthy man, decides to take on an extraordinary challenge - he wants to master an extraordinary skill in order to cheat…